Sick Days
by Catbugpasta
Summary: Everyone needs a sick day, why not Ian?


**A/N: Hey guys! This is another little one-shot with Ian and Alex. Alex is eleven in the fic. In my other two stories Alex is the one always hurt, so I decided to change it up a little in this one. A lot of you guys really like Ian & Alex fluff, so I hope you enjoy this one too :D**

* * *

"Hey guys, I'm home!" Ian called as he walked through the front doors of their house.

"Ian! Hey, how are you?" Jack greeted him.

"Eh…feel like I'm catching something, probably nothing."

"Hmm, well I'm making some soup for dinner if you want some."

"Sounds good, Alex is up in his room?"

"Yep, he's been looking forward to you coming home." Ian smiled at this; just thinking of his small nephew brought a warm feeling of happiness in him. Walking up the spiral staircase Ian let a smirk creep on to his face when he saw Alex hadn't heard him come. Softly padding up behind him Ian whispered,

"You shouldn't let it be that easy to sneak up on you." Although he didn't scream, Alex fell off his chair and landed on the floor with a soft "oof".

"Ian!" Alex jumped up from his position on the floor and hugged him.

"Hey kiddo, how have you been?" Ian said as he hugged back.

"Goood, I painted this pretty picture in art today. Oh and Jack and I baked some cookies, then we made dinner, and THEN guess what!"

"What?"

"You came home!" said a grinning Alex, Ian smiled back. Most of the time Alex was quiet and shy, but when his uncle came home he became a chatterbox. Suddenly, Ian began to cough violently. "Ian…are you okay?" Alex asked his eyes widening in concern. After a few seconds the coughing subsided.

"Y-yeah I think I might be catching a cold."

"Oh…well I'll make you feel better if you do."

"Thanks kiddo, but for right now I'm going to go get a warm shower, it was a long trip home."

"Okay, I'm going downstairs to see what Jack's up to."

* * *

_A few hours later_

Ian stretched out on the couch, Alex's head resting on his chest fast asleep. Looking down at his nephew he sighed, knowing he'd have to get up and put Alex to bed. He stood up trying to ignore his aching muscles…He hadn't done much physical labor the past few days, so _why _did everything hurt? Suppressing a moan of pain, from the extra weight of Alex his whole body hurt even more so.

Finally, after what seemed like the hundredth step he had made it to his nephew's room. Putting Alex in his bed and kissing his forehead goodnight, Ian decided to retire to his bed. Climbing into his soft, cushy bed he let out a sigh. He felt cold, even though the heat was on high, shivering he rolled over and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

_The next morning_

It felt like he was suffocating from heat, he blearily opened his eyes to find 3 blankets piled on him. When had they got there? Shaking head to try and clear it, he stood up trying to ignore the wave of dizziness that went through him. Ian went into the bathroom and was shocked to see his blonde hair a tousled train wreck, but the worst part of his reflection was his pale pasty skin that looked as if he had been sweating pretty badly. Putting a hand on his forehand, he wanted to recoil from the heat, groaning, realizing he was sick. It wasn't being sick that was bad, it was mother-hen Jack. Getting in the shower he hoped to calm the fever.

"Hey Alex, can you go get Ian for me, I wanna tell him I'm taking a little break and going back to America for three days."

"Okay." Running upstairs Alex saw his uncle walking out of a shower. 'Huh…that's strange Ian always takes hot, steamy shower. But there's no steam this time.' Shrugging Alex went up to Ian. "Jack said to come downstairs; she has to tell you something." Running a hand through his hair Ian sighed,

"Alright." Following his nephew downstairs he groaned inwardly when he saw Jack's traveling bags, realizing what she wanted to tell him.

"Ian! Morning!" Jack said brightly

"Morning," Ian said trying to keep the impending doom from seeping into his voice.

"Umm… I don't know how else to put this, but well, I need to go back to America for three days, I haven't seen my parents for so long and I got tickets really cheap and-" Ian put up a hand to silence her,

"It's alright Jack, I don't have any trips coming up this week."

"Oh thank you Ian!" She went to hug him, but the look on her face made her think otherwise. Hugging Alex, she murmured in his ear,

"Take good care of him and yourself."

"Okay, have fun Jack!"

* * *

_A few hours later_

Ian sat on the couch barely keeping his eyes open. He was watching some show with Alex about a sponge that lived under water, how did it have a fire underwater? Who cares he thought…his chest was really hurting too. He should go to the hospital to get it checked out, but he was in bad shape could he even drive there? "Hey Alex?"

Alex, totally engrossed in the show about- Bobsponge? Was that its name? -Barely even hear Ian.

"Alex!"

"What?"

"Can you go get my phone for me? I feel really bad, but I don't think I can drive to the hospital," Ian stated calmly, hoping to keep Alex calm too. But Alex wasn't one to panic even at such a young age. He obediently got the phone and brought it to Ian, who was turning whiter by the minute. Dialing 999 Ian waited impatiently for the operator to pick up.

"Hello, what is your emergency?"

Before Ian could answer he dissolved into a harsh coughing fit. Alex picked up the phone and said, "Hi, my name is Alex Rider, my uncle is sick and can't drive himself to the hospital…"

"Alright Alex, is it just you and your Uncle?"

"Yup, I have a housekeeper Jack, but she's in America right now."

"Okay, can you tell me what's wrong with your Uncle then?"

"Well he looks sweaty and he keeps coughing."

"Okay, and ambulance is on the way, please stay on the phone with me until it arrives."

"Ok." The operator kept Alex on the phone for another 5 minutes, by then Ian's coughing had calmed down a little, and the ambulance had arrived. Alex hung up and clambered in the back of the ambulance. The paramedic stared at him before asking,

"Who are you?"

"His nephew," Alex said matter-of-factly. Shrugging the paramedic went back to work on putting an oxygen mask on Ian.

* * *

_At the hospital _

Alex stared as his uncle was wheeled away to a room, a nurse came up to him and lead him to the cafeteria where he could eat a snack while waiting to go see Ian. Soon, another nurse replaced the one that had been there. The new one, Jen, walked him up to Ian's room. Alex barely recognized his uncle. There were tubes and wires everywhere, Ian was pale and thin looking, sinking in a sea of white sheets. Walking over he jumped (with the nurse's help of course) up on the bed and rested his head on Ian's chest, hearing the now steady _thump, thump, thump _soon falling asleep. Ian woke up soon after looking down to see Alex's blonde hair in his face. Smiling Ian thought to himself, 'Maybe taking a few sick days wouldn't be that bad…'

Alex felt something move underneath him and saw Ian awake, "Ian! Happy New Year!"

Ian, forgetting it had been New Year's Eve, looked at the clock and saw it was 12:04 am January 1st. "Happy New Year Alex."

A/N: READ THIS Ian had pneumonia, that's why his chest hurt and yeah… Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, just a little fic I threw together waiting for the new year, HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL :D I know the part with Alex and Ian wishing each other happy new year is kind of random, but I had to put something in for new years! So yeah, enjoy review if ya want. And hope you all have a wonder new year :)


End file.
